The Pathway To Insanity
by dreamer1230
Summary: Anastasia has always lived an abnormal life. Unlike most girls she could never do regular teenage things, simply because having the last name "Wayne" gave her a reputation to uphold, and huge shoes to fill. However she, for the most part, enjoyed her life, just a few things were missing. However, when outside forces intervine the most well mannered people have a dark side.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer, all canon characters are owned by DC

Chapter 1:

The lights were off in the room, the sawdust creating an eerie fog effect. At the moment the only light was the soft light of the moon pouring in through the windows, and the shadows created were sharp, the kind you see shapes and figures in as a child. Of course, the main cause for the unsettling atmosphere was not the lack of lights, or the squeaks in the floorboards or even the piles of boxes stacked in every which way. No, it was the group standing around the one piece of furniture, an old table.

"You're all idiots!" one of the males yelled out suddenly. The other four men had been ignoring his pleads to change the plans the entire night, the blonde had always been the coward. In fact, the only reason they tolerated his presence ever was that he had a good brain when he wanted to use it, and he made damn good coffee.

"And why is that Marcus?" The red head questioned in a sarcastic tone, as if any of them cared why this plan was bad.

Marcus sighed at that. He knew perfectly well they were all just trying to make him look bad, and their laughter proved it. Fighting to keep his voice about the now arising laughter and smart ass comments he said, "She's a Wayne dumb asses."

The room instantly fell silent. The simple word Wayne had hit them like a slap in the face. "That's impossible," one of the men scoffed, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms. A few of the others murmured comments in agreement but Marcus just shook his head.

"It's true," he began. He dropped a thin file onto the table with a plop, and one of the men opened it to reveal what they had seen before; a picture of a nice looking girl, not stunning but pretty, and a sheet of why she was best for the job. Continuing Marcus said, "She is his daughter. I don't know why boss added her to the stack, but she's the worst choice. Why don't we go with the Lewis girl, after all she was raised by a criminal. No morals in that one."

"The men murmured replies but spent most of their time reading the file. Marcus had a point. Sure the girl was skilled, she had been in gymnastics since she was small and now taught martial arts at a local gym, plus was an expert at all things electronic, but a Wayne was too risky for their plans. They needed someone who was easy to break, with barely any morals to begin with and an anger towards the world hidden inside of her. Not some rich kid who had lived a life of luxury, and was the daughter of the man who gave millions to charity a year. "You're right," one of the men said, the leader of this small group of workers, well second in command really. "It will never work, it's insane of us to try. Gabrielle Campbell it is then."

However, they hadn't noticed an extra figure step into the room a few minutes ago. In fact, they only noticed him now when a familiar laughter rang through the building, causing them to all stand up straight and search through the shadows from their spots. "Now come on gentleman," the familiar voice began, adding emphasis to the gentleman, "What's wrong with a little insanity?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The strong smell of coffee drifted throughout the mansion, waking up seventeen year old Anastasia Martha Wayne from her deep sleep. A small smile spread over her lips as the familiar scent hit her, and she stretched her arms up above her head. As she did so she could hear footsteps approaching her door, and only a moment later a knock could be heard. "Come in," she murmured sleepily, just loud enough that the person outside her door could hear her.

"Good morning Miss Wayne," Alfred said as he opened the door and walked inside. "I trust you slept well?" He added afterwards with a small smile on his face. This wasn't abnormal for them, in fact this was their normal routine; he would come in with coffee, tell her if her father had left any notes for her and then leave her alone to get ready. It was nice, especially knowing it was the only ounce of normalcy she was guaranteed to have.

"Very well, thanks," she responded with a smile as he handed her the cup of coffee he had been holding in his hand. Taking a sip of the coffee she looked at him, awaiting his response.

"No messages for you today," Alfred stated with a smile, moving the tray to under his arm. "See you in a few minutes," he said in a slightly cheeky tone, earning a light chuckle from the teenager as he walked out and shut the door behind him.

For a couple of minutes Anastasia just sat on her bed, enjoying the hot coffee and moment of silence. The sun was peeking perfectly through her blinds, letting her know it was most likely already around nine if not later. After a few moments of bliss she stood up and sat her mug on the night stand, and she walked over to her dresser, grabbing a random pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

A few minutes later she walked down the stairs and into the kitchen, finding Alfred there, which wasn't a surprise in the slightest. As she grabbed a piece of toast she said, "Any injuries last night?"

Alfred nodded slightly and said, "Yes, however just a few small cuts."

Anastasia's eyes widened sightly as she tilted her head in surprise. "Really," she said with slight disbelief. At Alfred's light chuckle and nod she grinned and said a happy, yet still surprised, "Well that's a first."

Their small talk continued on for quite awhile, both in a surprisingly good mood on this particular morning. However, after a little bit she knew she had to go finish getting ready and did just that. Soon she made her way towards the front door, only to be stopped by the voice of Alfred behind her. "Anna I am sure your father would be very grateful if you paid him a visit today," he said, a tiny drop of concern leaking into his voice. It was a well known fact that the father and daughter were not close, and neither of them did much to fix that problem. To them, it wasn't a big deal but to Alfred, he always hoped they would one day become closer.

Anastasia sighed a little bit but nodded slightly. "Fine, I will if I have time," she said reluctantly, not wanting an argument, before murmuring a goodbye and walking out of the door, the sunshine hitting her face and automatically causing her to smile. Today would be a good day, she just knew it.

* * *

_Hello!  
__Just wanted to point out that I know nothing exciting really happened this chapter, but it will get better I promise! :)_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

For most of her day Anastasia did what most teenage girls do on their summer break, excluding working that is, and filled her time with shopping and wandering around the city. Of course, the thought of visiting her father passed through her mind on a few occasions, however she didn't make any attempt to act on it. Even if she had told Alfred she would attempt to stop in, she never had any intent of doing so. No, an awkward encounter and feeling that she was interrupting something important were not things she particularly wanted on this strangely sunny day.

As she walked along the streets her mind wandered to what she could be doing that would be more entertaining. Although she had been shopping for the entire morning and part of the afternoon she was only returning with one bag, which contained a single journal. Shopping bored her, only because it wasn't special in the slightest when you could get anything you wanted at any single moment, it wasn't as if she had been saving up for months to buy something special.

A small smile formed on her face as she thought that she could go to a gym, at least then she would be doing something to improve herself. However glancing at her watch and seeing that it was already close to five and she would most likely be expected to show up for supper she knew she didn't have the time to do so. Shaking her head lightly she began to walk back towards the parking garage where her car was waiting for her, an uneasy feeling passed through her, the feeling you get when someone was watching you. She did her best to shake it off, but it wouldn't leave her and only seemed to increase.

When she finally got to her car she stared at it for a moment. To the rest of the people passing by they would see nothing wrong with the vehicle. However she had been trained since she was a little girl to notice the unnoticeable, and to always be on guard for the impossible. And all of her instincts were telling her that something was off.

Deciding to investigate she unlocked the car and put her bag in the back seat before looking at the car. She bit her lip slightly, asking herself what Bruce would do in a situation like this in which there were no obvious signs of an issue just a strong gut feeling. To start she checked the outside of the car for any damage, finding not even a scratch on the paint. Following this she, doing her best to not look strange to anyone who might be possibly around, checked under the car to see if anything was missing.

Ten minutes later she was more confused than ever. There was nothing wrong with the outside of the car, not a single thing. However there _was _still the inside she supposed, so got in and looked around. Still, there was nothing. Not a single CD or dollar was missing, nor was there anything changed that she could see. Murmuring under her breath she started the car, both to leave and to make sure that that wasn't the issue, which it clearly wasn't.

As she drove the feeling lingered, for the entire thirty minute drive back home. "What am I missing?" she thought out loud to herself. Of course, there was the possibility that it was nothing, and as she pulled into the garage she decided that that was most likely the case, an over active imagination and a sense of paranoia.

Grabbing the bag and her purse she walked into the house. "I'm back," she called out to no one in particular, hanging her coat up and slipping off her shoes. The house seemed quiet, however that was normal considering that at the moment there were only the three of them living there and the house was a mansion.

After a little bit of wandering she stumbled across Bruce, who was also walking through the halls. Giving him a smile she said, "Hi dad," putting one of her hands into her pocket.

"Hello Anna," he said, returning the smile. "Dinner is ready," he added and Anastasia nodded as the two of them made their way into the dining room.

What followed was the typical awkward meal between the two of them, both straining to make enough conversation to last through the meal so that they could then go their separate ways. The conversation somehow turned even _more_ awkward as all Anna could think about was how she had told Alfred she would go and visit him during the day and that she hadn't. However, for once he was leading the conversation, talking about what he had seen driving home. "I swear to get out of your car in the middle of the street just to close the trunk, the guy must have had a death wish."

Anna chuckled lightly and said, "Obviously," although she really wasn't focused on the so called conversation. Then it hit her. The trunk. She hadn't checked her trunk earlier, even if that was the first place she should have checked. Bruce had begun to speak again, trying to make the conversation continue however she simply stood up.

"Is everything alright?" He asked looking at her, a little concern coming through in his tone and expression.

"Yes, I just need to check something," she responded, giving him a little smile as she walked out and into the garage.

Carefully she took out her keys and unlocked her car, going by the door and pressing the button to unlock the trunk as well. Hearing it successfully pop open she shut the door and made her way towards it, pulling it fully open.

At the sight her breath got caught in her throat. Unlike how she had left it, completely and utterly empty, there was a small envelope. Cautiously she picked it up and opened it, preparing for the very worst. However, she wasn't as prepared as she thought she was as fear ran through her at the words written on the purple piece of paper inside. In messy handwriting, right in the center of the paper, a simple sentence had been written, which was followed by a equally messily drawn happy face: "Smile you're on camera!"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The world seemed to stop, and yet speed up all at the same time. It didn't take a detective to figure out who had written the message. The only question was if it was a valid threat, or simply words written to scare her, a prank almost.

In an act of almost defiance Anastasia crumbled the paper up in her hand, staring directly into the trunk. If in fact she was being watched she wanted to show that she was not intimated by the words, even if she was terrified on the inside. But could you blame her for being so frightened? After all, wouldn't anyone be if they found out that the clown prince of crime could be watching their every move, for whatever reason was going on in his brain?

Shoving the paper into her pocket she tried to think logically about this situation. After all, panicking never had helped anyone before, especially in situations like this one. No matter what she didn't want to go to the police. Or more importantly, she didn't want to go to Bruce. If she did either one, she would be 'protected' and treated like she couldn't take care of herself, and there was nothing that she hated more in life then that. If it proved to be a true threat, however, she knew she would need some assistance. So she would tell Dick if it came to that point, after all he was decently trustworthy as long as she had a good reason for him to keep the information from Bruce. But of course. If it was just an empty threat or from one of the many Joker appreciation gangs around the city, then no one needed to know. She could handle this mess herself.

"Anna?" she heard her father call from the doorway. When she turned her head to look at him she could see the concern written clearly on his face. She had to roll her eyes slightly at that, she was no longer a child who needed to be checked up on after all.

"Sorry, I just had to make sure I got everything," she responded with a bright smile. A fake bright smile of course, but she doubted he would notice. After speaking she shut the trunk gently, walking up to the door as well.

Within a second of her words she could see his face change from concerned to annoyed. It wasn't his fault, and she knew that, but in her opinion it was still rather ridiculous. As the pair walked back inside the house he said, in a tone that was trying so so hard not to be annoyed, "That couldn't have waited?"

Anna once again rolled her eyes. "No Dad, it was urgent," she said, she herself keeping her tone at a flat, fake level.

"I don't see how that could be at all urgent. After all it's important-"

Anastasia stopped suddenly and cut him off saying, "Just drop it okay?" Shaking her head she added, before he could add anything else to the discussion, "If you need me I'll be in my room." With that she turned and went for the stairs, giving Alfred a genuine smile as she passed.

Once she was in her bedroom she shut the door and fell back onto her bed. She didn't know if she was angry or not, and if she was why that was. He hadn't done a thing wrong. In fact, wouldn't most parents have done the same thing? She had just left dinner without a reason, in a panic, worrying him for no reason. Perhaps that was it though, there _was_ a reason, he just didn't know it.

Shaking her head she stood up once again, her frustration having left, and made her way to the door. Honestly, she was planning on apologizing. Maybe even making it up to him, listening to him or helping him get ready for the night. Something. But as she put her hand on the doorknob she could hear murmurs of voices. Nothing really could be heard, but occasionally she could make out her own name and things like 'she doesn't get it' and 'I do try Alfred.'

"Never mind," she murmured, before lying back down onto her bed. She leaned over and pressed play on her iPod, slipping her headphones into her ears. For a moment she forgot about the note, and the threat she was assuming was fake, and she drifted into a peaceful and worry less sleep.

But perhaps she should have been worrying more. Because somewhere in Gotham, someone was watching. And laughing.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The next three weeks were incredibly uneventful. For the first week, Anastasia was on edge, always looking over her shoulder for anything or anyone out of the ordinary. But, nothing ever happened. It remained as calm and peaceful as it had before she found the note in the first place, and before too long Anna had all but forgotten about the threatening note. But, perhaps she was too quick to do so.

Everything changed on a typical Thursday evening, a day not unlike every other one. Ana had just gotten home from a long day at the gym, quickly finding a note on the counter, left by Alfred, informing her that Bruce had gone out early and Alfred himself was out getting groceries. Normally this would have made her a little bit annoyed, the mansion always seemed rather creepy when she was home alone, but today she was happy to be by herself for a bit, given that she had spent her whole day around other people.

As she heated up and then ate the supper Alfred had prepared for her earlier, she flipped mindlessly through the newspaper. The next twenty or so minutes were perfectly peaceful and ordinary. Anastasia ate, put her dishes in the sink and then walked into her room to read for a little bit. After a few minutes, she heard the door open and close, but knowing Alfred could be home at any time and that there was no sounds of struggle to get inside she assumed that it was just his return.

However, after ten minutes with no words from downstairs, not even the typical hello, Anna became curious. It wasn't like Alfred to not come upstairs, and even Bruce would have to walk by her open door to go to his study. She stood up and set her book down before walking down the steps and into the kitchen, beginning to speak as she did so, saying, "Alfred do yo-."

Instantly she knew that something was very wrong. Not a single bag was on the counter, no keys had been returned to their usual spot by the door, and more importantly, no Alfred was in sight. For a moment she didn't move as she tried to think through about this logically and rationally. Of course, she automatically thought of the note, however, logic told her that it was just a random burglar who thought the house was empty. Her eyes narrowed ever so sightly with this thought, and she started to walk down the many halls. Occasionally she would shout out something like, 'who is in here?' or 'Where the hell are you?' but she never got a response, or heard any kind of movement. Every single room was empty and appeared untouched, which only seemed to say that this wasn't a burglar.

At the end of one of the hallways she stopped suddenly when a distinctive smell hit her. She would recognize it anywhere, it was the smell of the oil paints she used so often. The main issue was, for the past few days she had been too busy to paint anything, so the smell couldn't be a lingering one from earlier. Wearily, she pushed the door fully open, the small creak seeming to echo throughout the hall.

The room might have been empty, but the relief of seeing it in that state was very short lived. A canvas had been placed upon the easel and the paints had been taken out of the cupboard. Painted on the white background of the canvas was the same green happy face from before, however no words were scrawled on the bottom this time. After all, there was no need to make the threat that obvious, the fact that the painting even existed was a good enough sign that she was in extreme danger. Before she did anything else, she moved the painting to one of the walls, so that it was facing the wall itself. If she didn't die within the next few minutes, she wanted to make sure that Bruce wouldn't find out about any of this.

Turning, she knew that she had to do something other than just stand here. The first thought to pop into her head was, 'What would Bruce do?' However, that didn't really apply, as he would go and get into his Batman suit and then proceed to find Joker. But she, she wasn't Batman or even Batgirl and didn't have that option, so she was forced to decided on plan B.

Maybe her plan wasn't the most logical idea, was not fully developed in her head, and maybe leaving would be smarter. Actually, there was no question that leaving the building immediately would be the most **logical** option. But her brain was not thinking logically, it was thinking with anger, fear and confusion. So instead of finding her way out she started to make her way back towards her room.

As she walked, the mansion seemed even more eerily quiet then it normally did. Her heart beat seemed louder than ever before, and her footsteps seemed to echo through the hall, so much so that she felt as if he could even hear them from wherever he was hiding.

Soon she arrived in her room. Quickly she grabbed her phone off of it's charger, knowing that it could save her. Well, that is if she actually called someone, and a small part of her knew that wasn't likely. She was functioning solely on adrenaline after all, not thought process. Grabbing her purse, just in case, she nodded to herself. One quick little sweep around the hallways, and any rooms where important things were kept, and then she would leave. If she happened to stumble across the clown...she didn't know what she would do really.

However she didn't even get the chance to think about her choice, or her exit strategy. Suddenly something changed and she could tell, the room seemed to grow darker and more tense. Slowly she turned to face the door, gasping and stepping back instinctively when she saw the Joker himself standing in her doorway with a twisted smirk.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

* * *

"Anastasia Wayne," he said, his smirk growing as if to show how _amusing_ this was to him, "Batman's little brat. Tell me, has your father missed me?"

This was more of a shock than anything, he knew who Bruce was, although, in retrospect it made more sense why she was in this position now. In a split second decision, she narrowed her eyes in a glare towards him, letting her annoyance show. "I wouldn't know."

It seemed as if he expected this though, as if it simply made him happier in his own twisted way. "There it is! That beloved Wayne Spark!" he said,as he began to walk towards her.

Fear forming in her stomach Anna did the only thing she could think of, and reached down towards her nightstand, as if she had done this a thousand times. No, she didn't have any sort of weapon, as Bruce would have never allowed that. But, he didn't know that.

"A ta ta ta," he said, fakely tsking her as he revealed countless weapons he had had hidden on himself, "We wouldn't want to get hurt would we, hmm?"

He continued to step forward, as Anastasia subconsciously backed up. Suddenly, it got to the point where she no longer could, where the only thing between her and the wall was about a foot of air. Quickly, she half cowered herself, attempting to give off the impression of being terrified.

And, it worked. As soon as he was within a close enough distance, she swung the purse in her hand at him. Although this wouldn't typically do any damage, especially to someone like him, it had caught him off guard, giving her enough time to reach inside and pull out a can of pepper spray. Without wasting a single moment, she sprayed it into his face. With that, she bolted for the door, letting the can drop behind her.

Honestly, she had no idea where she was going. But, she had to use the tiny lead she had given herself to do something. Of course, her first thought was to go to the kitchen, as at least she could find a sort of weapon there.

However, she barely even had time to think before she could hear his footsteps echoing behind her. Although she didn't dare turn around to see the monster following her, she knew he was there and most likely angry at this point. Grabbing a knife as soon as she arrived in the room, she turned to face the door. As soon as he walked into the room she realized she had cornered herself, letting him walk forward with practically no difficulties.

When he got within her reach, she stabbed frantically, having absolutely no clue what she was doing and running solely on adrenaline. He let out a small scoff before easily knocking it out of her had, and before she could react his hand was around her throat, lifting her off the ground. Her hands automatically flew up, clawing at his hand to try to free herself as the edges of her vision blur.

"Shh, everything's going to be alright," he said as if speaking to a small child, causing her to glare.

"Shut up asshole," she said with what little breath she had, deciding she might as well go out swinging.

"Now, now, there's no need to be vulga-" he started, before hearing the front door slam shut suddenly.

Suddenly, everything became a blur, and the last thing Anastasia could remember was him whispering in her ear the words, "Sweet dreams, little girl."

When her vision returned, he was gone, causing panic to stir within her. This only increased when she heard footsteps, quickly standing to her feet before a very concerned Alfred walked into the room, arms full of groceries. "Miss Anastasia? Are you alright?" He asked, an almost fatherly concern lacing his tone.

Smiling, well, doing her best to smile, Anna nodded, going to the fridge to grab a bottle of water, as if that was why she was in the room originally. "Oh, of course Alfred, I just slipped," she said with a light laugh edging her tone.

This seemed to be enough for him, as he returned the smile. "Very well, do try to be careful next time," he said, a chuckle lacing his own tone as well.

"I will," she responded, extending the word a bit before starting to make her way out.

As she did, the panic, which had never really left, came back fully. Quickly, she tried to make it back to her room without passing out or showing any signs of doing so earlier, and even in her weak state she knew one thing. This wasn't over.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Although she knew this was far from the end, it almost seemed like he had finished his little game. Yet again, Anna was stuck in her typical routine, only with the addition of a bit of added paranoia. Though that was manageable, and she knew that. It wasn't like she really needed to do much outside of the manor, right?

However, the normalcy was almost unnerving. Why was he just leaving her alone now? Now, she wasn't complaining that he wasn't following her once again with his creepy ass signs, but, that didn't mean it made sense. Of course, that implied that _he_ made sense, which was obviously not the case. But, what had he accomplished? Was his entire goal to make her a bit scarred, bring the total realization that he knew who she was? It just seemed unlikely, though, perhaps the countless sleepless nights had added to that thought pattern.

Which was why, after way too long, she was finally leaving for more than a few minutes. He wasn't allowed to win at his own game, if that was all that was to it. A simple walk seemed in order to relax her mind, so, she took one of the cars to a parking spot downtown, figuring that she would rather be in the city then off on the outskirts. It might not have made any sense, considering where she lived, but the hustle and bustle of the city was calming to her, alongside the crowds of people that seemed to blanket her in safety. The buildings reflecting the sunlight into everyone's eyes, the conversations all around her, the cars honking at the traffic they were stuck in, the pickpockets doing what they did best. This was her home, even if it wasn't perfect, she would much rather live here then in Metropolis.

After a few minutes of peace, she was interrupted by a tap on her shoulder. Turning, she noticed a woman with short brown hair and a soft smile. "Hello, could I ask you a question?" The woman's voice showed for certain she wasn't from around here, or, perhaps even from the country.

Now, as much as it was annoying to be snapped out of her mindset of temporary peace, however, Anna couldn't just be rude to her. "Of course," she said in a kind tone, waiting for a response.

"Could you give me some directions? I'm trying to find my cousin's, and I think I have gotten lost. I'm Carla, by the way," she said, the smile staying on her face.

"Anastasia. What's the address?" As soon as the older woman said the address, Anna nodded, before adding, "That's nearby, I can walk you there." Honestly, she couldn't see why not, and the woman looked very happy to hear this. Karma and all, right? Now, as the pair began to walk, she couldn't help but feel a bit odd, but, that didn't matter, it was most likely just the typical Gotham feeling.

(I'm sorry that it has been so long! I also apologize for the quality of this chapter, I'm just attempting to get back into the scheme of things!)


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The walk was as awkward as one could imagine it would be. After all, both young woman hadn't expected to be in this situation Anna presumed, since they woman, Carla, had full intentions of not needing help finding the location. So, the silence was expected, if you could call it silent. Luckily, in a city like Gotham, you never were really in an awkward silence, as you could pretend to be interested in the sounds and sights around you.

After a few minutes, probably around twenty to be honest, they arrived at the building in which Carla had mentioned. It wasn't one of the nicest in the city, those buildings typically sported Anna's last name, however, it definitely wasn't the worst. Some of the places here, even the downtown, were just horrible; run down and filled with more squatters than actual residents or customers, depending on what the building was. Of course, it made sense, since the crime rate in this city was higher than any other, even without the rogues and with Batman's help it was still terribly high. Sad, yes, but the people who lived here knew it, so if they choose to stay then it would be there own fault.

"Well, this is it," she said, with a slightly awkward tone. It wasn't like she was even expecting a thanks even, more so a sort of conclusion to their conversation.

A smile came over the woman's face. "Thank you," she said, giving a slight nod.

"No problem, looking for something to do anyway." No, that wasn't really the truth, but she honestly didn't mind, and it was refreshing for a change to see the polite tones. Not exactly common!

With a brief goodbye, the woman went inside, leaving Anna all alone...for a minute at least. She turned to walk away, however, just as she did, she heard the door creak.

Turning, she saw the door still closed. Odd as it was, she would have turned around amusing it was just from the next building over, if not for the one small change. A small envelope was resting on the handle of the door, which had obviously not been there before. She was sure of it, it wasn't there, right? Walking over, she picked it up, with the intentions of bringing it back inside to the woman. Maybe she forgot it?

However, it only took her a second to stop that thought. On the center of the envelope was her name, printed in a neat and very readable handwriting. Anastasia really did wish she was surprised, and tried to be, but by now? No, she had been expecting her peace to end one day soon, and that day would happen to be today.

Was it smart to open the envelope? No. However, she did with little hesitation. After all, he hadn't seemed to be attempting to hurt her through these little notes and signs, only freak her out a little more, which they still very much did. Anyone could tell she was internally panicking, judging by her slightly shaking hands and quick breathing. Inside, however, any fear was replaced by confusion. Instead of a cryptic note or some kind of taunt, she found a simple street name with no other sign of reasoning for the street, nor a particular address.

_ Maple St. _


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Now what the hell was she supposed to do with that? There was no doubt in her mind who this was from, there was only one human being, if you could call him that, that would send such a cryptic note. How had he even done it?

Of course, she was half expecting to hear the obnoxious laughter the entire way home. It wasn't like she wanted to have him anywhere near her, even before this one didn't want the Joker near them, but it would take the paranoia away. If she knew he was behind her, beside her, wherever the hell he was around her, then she could at least_ know._ Honestly, she would even like to see one of his goons, just some sign to prove she wasn't making this all up. It felt like she was, as if the entire events were just one big illusion that her mind was creating. A desperate plea for attention or some shit.

Shaking the thought from her mind, she took note of the fact that she had arrived home. Of course, no one had shown signs of following her anymore than they had shown signs of doing anything suspicious. Alright, that wasn't true, this was Gotham and everyone seemed to be suspicious. But, not towards her. Though, the original 'smile' note was still on her mind, the ever present paranoid feeling. Especially when it kept getting proven. Hell, even Bruce hadn't known she was there.

Getting out, with the address tucked into her pocket, and her hand gripping it tightly under the fabric, she made her way inside, instantly glancing for someone; whether that was for a family member or for her new found follower, she couldn't be sure.

Making her way to her room, purse ready to sling onto her bed. Honestly, if she could avoid seeing any of the family members, she honestly would. Her hopes were confirmed when she noticed a small piece of paper on her bed. Although it initially sparked fear and panic, it only took a millisecond to recognize Alfred's handwriting, informing her that the both of them were out, preparing for Bruce's next gala. That alone caused a slight groan to slip out of her mouth, but at least she was alone.

As she sat on her bed, taking a moment to relax, the fact that she was alone fully dawned on her. Alone. Alone meant that she was at risk of Joker showing up, finishing whatever he had started earlier. It gave a better chance of her being spooked by everything, of his men showing up, of, well, anything happening. Never in her life had she wanted Bruce to be here, as every aspect of her relaxation had flown out the window.

Minutes slowly became hours of her laying on her bed, paralyzed by her fear. It was ridiculous, she realized this, but it was a safe place in her mind, her bedroom. Even if she wanted to move, her body and brain would hold her back, keeping her in place until they knew she was safe. As much as she was used to nervous behavior, this was new, and it honestly pissed her off. This was all his fault, all of it! In fact, her anger only proceeded to make her angry and terrified. Great.

It was only when she heard the door open, two steps of footsteps and familiar voices coming on, that she snapped out of her trance, the terror disappearing and leaving her only with anger.


End file.
